Teaching unity among all of God's children is also critical, he said. "The more unified as brothers and sisters our children feel with other races and ethnicities, the broader their service will be." Told by a patriarch before his LDS mission that he would become "a teacher in the church among your people," he was convinced he would be asked to serve in some inner-city area, like the one in which he was raised. But his mission call was to Latin America, speaking Spanish. Yet, "when I left my mission, I did so in tears. My people had become Latino. Hispanics were and are my people."

Similarly, he's found that whites, Tongans, Hawaiians, Samoans, Polynesians, Asians and those of other ethnicities are also "my people. We share common thoughts and deep spiritual connections." He lauded the growing role that "our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren" will play not only in preparing for "the return of our Savior," but in perpetuating unity within the church.

"Some questions are difficult for us to fully comprehend, but focusing on his eternal plan we of all colors will walk through celestial gates and return to the glory only (Christ) can offer. May we help lead to that legacy. ... Unity is a tell-tale sign not only of the true church, but of the Lord himself and his atoning sacrifice.

"Our oneness as a people is a manifestation to the world of the Lord's power to reconcile us not only to God but to each other. This he does through the great Atonement, without regard to borders, barriers or ethnicity. This universal unity and joy are the destiny of the church."

Elder Sheldon F. Child, of the Quorums of the Seventy, shared some of his experiences in New York City while serving as a mission president, and others while living in West Africa, where he witnessed the growth of the church among black members firsthand.

"There are no strangers or foreigners among those who enjoy the blessing of the priesthood, make sacred covenants and keep them. They belong to the household of God. Because of God's love for all his children, in every gospel dispensation he has placed prophets on the earth to communicate his will to them. His love and his will was made manifest to us on June 8, 1978. ... We certainly have cause to rejoice and to celebrate. May we show our love to him by the way we live our lives and reach out to others with love."

Elder Earl C. Tingey of the Presidency of the Seventy conducted the meeting and said, "We look to the day when all men and women of the Earth will be seen as God's children."

Soloist Alex Boye, a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sang two hymns, "How Great Thou Art" and "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," and choir director Mack Wilberg led a multicultural choir of more than 300 in providing additional music for the service.

The event also included a short video presentation, "He Inviteth Us All," featuring black Latter-day Saints voicing their memories and experiences within the church.

A small group of protesters gathered outside the grounds of Temple Square Sunday evening to advocate for the issuance of a formal apology and open recognition from the church for having prohibited black men from entering the priesthood.

Bill McKeever, the director of a group called Mormonism Research Ministry, was heading the happening, which he characterized as "an effort to distribute information" rather than a protest.

"We're out here calling attention to some of the teachings of past Mormon leaders regarding why the ban was placed on those of African heritage and the priesthood," McKeever said.

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Contributing: Arthur Raymond

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E-mail: carrie@desnews.com